Tuesday, August 26, 2014

A printed marketing piece -- whether a brochure, flyer, catalog, or letter -- contains many design components. From margin size to font, use of white space to size and type of paper, the elements that go into a printed piece require much consideration. But when it comes to color, marketers all too often make choices based on personal preference, anecdotal evidence, or even hunches.

However, people actually devote time and effort to studying this stuff; researchers have uncovered a large body of quantitative data about the many ways color affects consumer behavior. Their findings can help inform color choices, so printed projects can better reach their intended audiences.

How Important is Color in Marketing?

In a nutshell: Very. A study by the Seoul International Color Expo found that almost 93 percent of consumers said visual experience is the most important factor when it comes to purchasing. Of these, almost 85 percent listed color as the major factor. Even more impressive, a report from the Institute for Color Research notes that most consumers make a judgement about a product within 90 seconds of first seeing it and that color accounts for 62 to 90 percent of their initial impression.

Color is also key in branding; a University of Maryland study found that using a consistent color palette increased brand recognition by a whopping 80 percent! Why? It's all about brain chemistry; our neurocircuitry is hard-wired to respond to color. Multiple studies indicate that color significantly improves mental processing, storage, and memory. And if you're still not convinced, consider that colorful ads are read 42 percent more often than black-and-white ads. Readers also tend to spend more than twice as long lingering on a colorful ad than on a black-and-white ad.

These numbers aren't exactly ambiguous -- color matters (a lot!) when it comes to marketing. But which colors are best?

Color Choice for Intended Results

While each individual reacts to colors in their own way, research indicates there are some common themes associated with colors. In fact, certain colors actually trigger biological responses, some of which improve attention and evoke emotions.

Red: Studies indicate that consumers tend to associate red with attention, vigilance, excitement, stimulation, and enhanced concentration. When products are featured on a red background, readers tend to have more positive thoughts about the product if specific descriptors are used, rather than creative or evocative language.

Blue: In contrast, readers preferred emotive, creative descriptions for products featured on a blue background. The cool color blue tends to elicit feelings of calm, safety, and openness, which can open the door to creative expression and exploration.

Yellow and Orange: Like red, these warm colors evoke feelings of excitement and attention. Orange tends to be associated with extroversion and energy, while yellow is often seen as optimistic and friendly.

Green and Brown: Both green and brown are associated with nature, making these colors effective for outdoorsy, rugged, or natural products or campaigns. In addition, green is associated with security, while brown is linked to seriousness.

Pink and Purple: Pink and purple both evoke associations with femininity and sophistication. Purple also connotes luxury and authenticity.

Black: For the ultimate in elegance and sophistication, nothing beats black. Glamor, power, dignity, and high-fashion are all evoked by the use of black.

White: As the absence -- or complete reflection -- of all colors, white evokes feelings of purity, simplicity, and cleanliness. It's also associated with happiness and peace.

When choosing colors or combinations for your print ads, keep these associations in mind. Select colors that support your messaging, rather than subconsciously undermining it.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

When it comes to content marketing, you can try all the advertising, promotional, and PR ploys, but authenticity remains key. What is authenticity, you might ask? Simply stated, it means staying true to your business values: who you are, who you serve, and what you do. It may sound like a no-brainer, but very few companies are able to withstand internal pressures or external turbulence without losing their authenticity, according to a recent study.

How to apply authenticity

It all starts from the top, so set a vision that your company's personnel understand, embrace, and can implement. Then ensure that your "authenticity" motto aligns with your business goals, so you can clearly demonstrate to stakeholders such as investors and lenders that you have a growth strategy in place. Here's how to do that:

Be real

Sounds easy, right? But you'd be surprised how many companies lose their operational soul, delve into every sector deemed profitable, or adopt strategies that are counter to their mission. Define what your business does -- its mission and vision -- and stick to those core values.

Be charitable

Ever heard of something called "corporate social responsibility"? Well, CSR is one way an organization can give back to society-at-large and the communities in which it does business. Consumers love that, and it's a win-win for both the company and the aid recipients.

Be consistent

Don't give mixed messages that might lead to mistrust and confusion, both of which could make you lose customers down the road. Stay close to your values, mission, and vision as much as possible. For example, Apple's tagline is "Think different." All of the company's products and services somewhat match that slogan.

Back up what you say

To build trust and customer loyalty, your word must be credible. If you want to establish a solid reputation, make sure your company delivers on its operational commitments. For example, if "Maintain customer satisfaction 24/7" is your tagline, prove it to patrons in the way your handle things like complaints, merchandise delivery, and service quality.

Be responsive

The last thing you want is bad press, so don't let word-of-mouth tarnish the reputation you've spent years, if not decades, building and growing. Be quick in handling customer inquiries as well as questions from any other relevant party. Think regulators, business partners, activists, and consumer groups.

Respect privacy
Build solid privacy practices in the way your company operates, especially when it comes to archiving online data. In this age, everything business-related is kept on the "cloud," so make sure your cloud provider has implemented effective policies to safeguard your company's data, as well as your customers' private information.

Cultivate your client base

To grow your business, you must cultivate your clientele. These include your existing and past customers, along with a mishmash of interested parties ranging from prospects to social media followers. It's important to cultivate fans because, while some may be unable to buy your product or service today, they definitely will in the future. Plus, they'll encourage their friends to do the same.

Polish your reputation

Don't spare any opportunity to polish your reputation, establish authority in your industry, or seize on a good PR occasion. Being authentic also means burnishing that authenticity every now and then, so everyone will take notice, including your competitors.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Whether you love it or hate it, chances are at some point you've eaten at McDonald's. This corporation was a major cornerstone of the building of the fast food industry and is currently one of the symbols of the exportation of American culture around the world. Perhaps what is most remarkable about the success of the franchise is how unremarkable it is. The restaurants serve burgers and french fries. Yet somehow, out of all the burger joints available, the one started by the McDonald brothers in San Bernardino, California, has gone on to serve roughly 68 million customers per day. How did this happen, and what can other business leaders learn from the company?

The history of McDonald's

McDonald's was first opened by the McDonald brothers in 1940. The little restaurant served burgers and placed an emphasis on quick service, putting the fast food principles developed by White Castle to work for themselves. By 1955, the restaurant became a corporation led by aggressive businessman, Ray Kroc. Kroc is credited with taking what was a successful burger joint to the popular glory it now enjoys. Kroc was known for his risk taking and lofty goals that allowed him to lead the corporation.

How Ray Kroc made a burger franchise into a global phenomenon

Professionals have spent years analyzing the business decisions of Ray Kroc. Few disagree that he was a genius, even though his feud with the McDonald brothers certainly earned him some animosity. Two particular traits tend to be cited by those exploring the reasons for the success of the corporation:Attention to detailsPassion for the business

Attention to details

Kroc did not allow a single detail of the burger making process to go unanalyzed. He even broke down the process of putting a patty and toppings into a bun to see if he could improve it. He ended up essentially creating an assembly line for putting together sandwiches, which lives on in McDonald's restaurants today. Kroc worked to develop teamwork within each restaurant and even constructed the customer service model that includes a smile when greeting patrons.

Other businesses should put the same consideration into their own companies. This doesn't mean micromanaging the company, but rather looking for ways to improve the company from the ground up.

As a business owner, explore each level of your business to see what can be improved. Research the consumer base and gain deeper insights into their challenges, so you can see how your company can better help them. Similarly, research customer experiences with the company to see how customer service can be improved. Look for answers to questions such as:

How long do customers have to wait for responses to inquires?

How efficient are customer service lines?

Do customers tend to get passed from person to person before receiving an answer?

Passion for the business

Kroc had a passion for building his business. He believed in dreaming big while always working to improve the business. In the world of making burgers, Kroc had a vision of turning McDonald's into a major franchise, and he worked to make that happen. He was also willing to take risks, which included betting on the likelihood of customers taking to the casual, fast-food model over the common sit down and more formal dining experience.

Try translating this passion into your own business. Your enthusiasm should be contagious. No one wants to support a company that doesn't have a clear vision, a plan for getting there, and a confident leader who seems capable of getting the business to these new heights. Use your industry knowledge and foresight to anticipate customer desires and needs, and show a true eagerness to encourage your entire team to work toward the shared vision.

Success isn't dependent on developing something extraordinary. Sometimes, it's leaders doing extraordinary things with ordinary ideas that can make a company great. If an empire can be built out of burgers and fries, the right business prowess can offer anyone the chance to have success. Keeping Ray Kroc's mantras of paying attention to details and a passion for business in mind can help you get on the path to bringing your own company to the top. If you're looking for ways to get started growing your company vision, contact us to see how we can help you get your message out.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing needs through print communications please visit www.printingartspress.com.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Savvy marketers know that direct mail offers a cost-effective and potentially profitable marketing method -- but in order to work, it must be done right! In fact, some of today's most innovative and creative advertising is sent through the mail, according to Entrepreneur magazine.

An effective direct-mail campaign can accomplish several goals, including:

Generating leads

Attracting new customers

Engaging with current customers

Expanding the reach of your brand

Producing profits

Here are the top five secrets of successful direct mailers.

1. Focus, Focus, and More Focus

The success of any direct-mail campaign depends in large part on your audience, so you need to target the right people. A direct marketing rule known as the 60-30-10 states that 60% of success depends on the list, 30% depends on the offer you present, and 10% lies in creative elements. This highlights the importance of choosing the right list for your mailing.

If you're building your own list, start with your past and current customers. After all, they're a known factor -- they've purchased your product or service before, and you probably already have all of their info. (If you don't, now's the time to start collecting it!)

2. Keep it Updated

If it's been a while since you updated your customer data, a direct mailing is a good place to start. People change addresses more than you might think! Simply add a request for address corrections onto the label; the post office will send undeliverable mail back with the recipient's new address. It costs a bit more, but doing this at least once per year keeps your database updated.

3. Determine Your Goal

What do you want this particular campaign to achieve? Do you want to generate orders, build your brand, or produce leads? Setting a clear, measurable objective will help you drive the creative portion of your campaign. If your goals are too broad, your message is likely to be vague -- and less effective -- as well.

4. Grab their Attention

You only have a few seconds to grab their attention -- and if you don't, they won't even open the envelope. Take a look at your own mail; what are you most likely to open? Are you enticed by offers of "FREE MONEY!" or "AMAZING PRIZES!"? Probably not, and your audience is similarly jaded to cheesy, gimmicky headlines. Instead, pique their interest with a creative headline, interesting use of color, a hand-addressed envelope, or a bit of humor. In other words, go for elements that stereotypical "junk mail" doesn't have.

5. Develop a Relevant Offer

Now that you've gotten your customer to open the mail, present them with an offer that appeals to them. Here's where knowing your audience is key. Be brief, but include the information they need to make an on-the-spot decision. Why do they need your product? How will your service benefit them? Testimonials from satisfied customers can be powerful in this capacity.

Above all else, make it easy for them to respond. Provide multiple contact channels, including a website, email address, and phone number, but don't leave it at that. Always (ALWAYS) include a call to action. Tell them to call, email, or visit your website. Remember, if you don't tell them what you want them to do, they simply won't do it.

To contact Chuck Gherman for more information about how Printing Arts Press helps organizations with their Marketing needs through direct mail please visit www.printingartspress.com.